Every year, in spite of my best efforts, I manage to pick up some poison oak along my travels. As someone who’s highly sensitive to the oils, I’ve spent many a late summer cursing my inattention as I slather pink lotions on my limbs.
So when I found this gumweed solution, I immediately added the plant to my pollinator garden. It’s not a showy plant but the bees adore its resins, and we use both the tincture and the liniment all year round to address a variety of complaints.
To make a liniment for external use (only!), simply replace the Everclear shown in the tincture process with rubbing alcohol, infuse for a few weeks, transfer to a spray bottle, and label. Keep handy on the medicine shelf for bites, hives, rashes and other skin reactions.
Foraging tips: I originally collected the seed for this plant on the sandy river banks at Eschbach Park. (If you go, please gather the flower and the seed and leave the plant where it is. :))
Thanks to Mo Aristegui at Appleseed Media for making this charming and informative video!
